Collateral
by FrozenSoldier
Summary: After he nearly attacked her on Bella's eighteenth birthday, the Volturi know Angela Weber had seen too much. For them to grant Jasper his last wish, he has to bring her to Volterra. She is his collateral. AU: Alternate take on Chapter 21 of Built on a Lie.
1. Part One

**Collateral**

_Collateral; something given to secure a loan or other obligation. Acceptable as a guarantee of performance._

_Alice is gone, killed by Victoria in an attack of bitter vengeance. When justice is served and Victoria is nothing but ash, Jasper sees no other reason to continue existing. Like Edward, he seeks out the Volturi's help. Like Edward, they refuse. Knowing his only other option is to reveal himself, the Volturi finally concede._

_But they have one condition._

_After he nearly attacked her on Bella's eighteenth birthday, the Volturi know Angela Weber had seen too much. For them to grant him his last wish, Jasper has to bring her to Volterra. She is the key._

_She is his collateral._

**An alternate take on Chapter 21 of Built on a Lie, some of which will be familiar here.**

* * *

**Part One**

Our footsteps echoed off the stone walls as we made our way through the winding corridors of the Volturi castle. I stuck close behind Jasper, just as he'd instructed, his hand at the base of my back. It was the only thing shielding me from the vampires surrounding us. The same two who'd brought us here.

_Felix_.

_Demetri_.

Those were the names the receptionist had used as she'd greeted them in Italian. They'd smiled and winked at her; she'd giggled and blushed, watching them as they walked away. I'd suppressed a shudder as she went out of sight. The normalcy of the situation made the Volturi lair even more disturbing.

From the two vampires in front of me, the tallest – _Felix_, held the most obvious threat with his muscular frame and wide shoulders. But it was the shorter of the two – _Demetri_, who terrified me the most. Both had the piercing red irises, but Demetri held something the other lacked.

I could remember all too clearly the way he'd stared at me. While Felix had focused on Jasper, sparing me a fleeting glance, Demetri had kept his sharp gaze on me, as if he was assessing every last detail, examining that which others usually overlooked. Even now, I had to divert my eyes as a colossal shiver travelled through me.

Now the situation was upon us, I felt my semblance of control slipping with every step I took. My whole body was trembling with fright by the time we came to a stop at a large, oak door. Felix held his hand out for us to stop as Demetri brushed passed me, invading my personal space with a perverse grin. I pressed myself against Jasper, hating the glint in Demetri's eyes as he spotted my terror.

I jolted painfully as the doors finally opened, revealing a large, circular room, the décor not dissimilar to the one we'd just left. Ice-cold fear lurched through me as a voice called for us to enter.

For one insane moment, I had the urge to hold back, to let Jasper go alone. _To his death_. But I squashed the notion; to hold back was to desert Jasper, and I _couldn't_. I couldn't let him face this last hurdle on his own. We'd been through everything else; this was the only thing left.

_He_ wouldn't leave me, not here.

Jasper stepped forward, his movement tense. I stood beside him, shoulder to shoulder, but as we came to a stop in the middle of the vast room, he moved so his body was shielding mine. Similarly to earlier, he held out his left arm; this time allowing his hand to rest at the curve of my waist. I wanted to place my hand over his, but this wasn't a gesture of comfort. This was protection.

I scanned the area ahead of me, too scared to look behind me in case what I saw only made things worse. The room was full with perhaps a dozen vampires, maybe more, but I couldn't see them. I was hyper-aware of the fact everyone was staring at us, their red eyes standing out.

"How _fascinating_."

My eyes darted towards the person who'd spoken. Amidst my opening reaction to the room, I'd once again failed to notice something vital. This time, it was the three large chairs at the far end of the room. Upon them sat three men, dressed in long, dark robes. It was the one in the middle who'd spoken. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with thick black hair that framed his ghostly face.

This was the first time I was meeting someone who essentially _looked_ like a vampire.

He rose from his chair with unnatural grace for someone of his stature. But as he got closer, I soon realised that, though the power he exuded made him seem bigger, I was still physically taller. The tallest, it seemed, aside from Jasper, Felix, and Demetri. The shortest were a boy and a girl standing beside one another. Their child-like faces were not something I expected to see here.

"It seems you have grown an attachment to the human," he continued, staring at Jasper. He spoke with an air of enthralment, as if the very idea of an attachment between the two of us was remarkable, yet surprising.

Jasper remained silent and tense as the man came to stop just out of reach. Now that he was closer, I was able to see the differences between the two men before me. Aside from his scars, Jasper's skin looked pale and smooth. But this man was completely different. His skin looked almost translucent and powdery, making it seem incredibly old.

His eyes, too, were something new. Unlike the other irises I'd seen, they were clouded and milky, as if covered by some kind of film.

"May I?" he asked, raising a hand towards Jasper. The hand on my waist twitched as Jasper slowly raised his free arm. It was plain to see he didn't want to do it, yet he had no other choice. This eerie man may have offered it as a question, but he knew Jasper wouldn't refuse. To do that was dangerous.

He had to step closer to grasp Jasper's hand. For a full minute, they stood in silence, Jasper staring at him impassively while he stared down at Jasper's hand. Then, without warning, his sharp gaze flickered to me.

I flinched, cringing away from him. The only thing stopping me from taking a step back was Jasper's grip on my waist. His thumb moved in a swift, circular motion that I instantly recognised as a sign of reassurance. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

The look in his eyes was terrifying. It wasn't the same as, say, Felix or Demetri, whose eyes were as easy to read as an open book. All it took was one look into their eyes to know they would take pleasure in ending someone's life. But he had a different form of evil in them, a calculated one. A shiver ran through me as I worked out what it reminded me of. A mastermind, a serial killer.

He didn't take his eyes off me as he eventually dropped Jasper's hand and straightened into a more formal posture once again.

"Forgive me; we have yet to be formally introduced to one another." He held out his hand. "My name is Aro."

"Angela," I said in a cracked, frightened voice.

"Yes," he replied, attaining an air of calmness that sent a chill racing down my spine. "I know who you are."

His hand moved, reminding me of its presence. My gaze flickered towards it for a few seconds before returning to his face. I knew exactly what he was capable, of, how he could read every single thought I'd ever had with a simple touch of his hand.

The last thing I wanted was for him to read my thoughts, but what choice did I have?

His smile turned unnervingly friendly. "Will you not shake my hand?"

Jasper turned his head towards me. It wasn't enough to meet my eye, but it was sufficient for me to understand what he was trying to indicate. He was telling me to take Aro's hand; as much as I didn't want to, this was the only option I had.

My hand was quivering as I held it out. Knowing the pretence of shaking my hand was already at the back of his mind, I kept my arm limp as his fingers closed around mine. Breath caught in my throat at the feel of his skin. There was the same icy coldness Jasper's had, but like everything else, there was a big difference.

Aro's felt like stone, cold and dead, the grip a little too tight.

I kept my gaze fixed on Jasper, trying not to think about what Aro was seeing. He held on longer than he had with Jasper, and all the while, I had the urge to pull my hand away in disgust. When I realised he would be able to see exactly what I was thinking, I tried to block out absolutely everything bar Jasper.

A gentle exhale notified me Aro had finished. As soon as he let go, I pulled my arm away, instinctively curling my fingers into the back of Jasper's shirt.

"Such a lonely girl, bearing so much loss and sadness," Aro mused slowly, looking between us as if he could still read our thoughts. "I must say, you are a suited pair. It is not hard to see why she's given up her life to help you so willingly; she really has nothing to go back to. It's a shame you will be separated very soon."

My eyes stung with tears as I gripped Jasper's shirt even tighter in my clenched hands. Aro's words were hitting me like a stinging slap. Nothing could have prepared me for this. I wasn't ready to let Jasper go, and after seeing who he was handing himself over to, I wanted to get him as far away as possible.

"Let her go," Jasper said in a flat voice. "You've seen everything she has. You know she didn't tell anyone, and I give you my word that you can trust her."

Aro appraised us, his eyebrow arched in an amused manner, as though Jasper had requested something simple instead of asking for my safe passage out of Italy. It startled me when he began to laugh exuberantly.

"How sweet."

I gasped as a low snarl rippled from deep within Jasper's chest. My heart was thumping in my ears while I watched the hulk-like Felix take a cautionary step towards us, as if expecting Jasper to attack. Aro merely stepped away and turned to face the two he'd left sitting in the throne-like chairs at the end of the room, leaving his back to us, open to attack.

From the corner of my eye, Felix stepped even closer.

I focused my gaze to follow Aro's. The one with startlingly snow-white coloured hair, being by far the oldest looking of the three, inclined his head, as if he'd shared his thoughts with Aro from across the room. His attention drifted towards Jasper as Aro faced us once again. The serene expression on his face did nothing to placate me, it only made me more conscious of the fact my life, and Jasper's, was in his hands.

"So what do you suggest?" he asked, directing his question at Jasper.

"Let her _go_," he responded immediately with a severity in his voice that hadn't been there earlier. "It wasn't part of the deal for her to stay here. You told me to bring her and I did; you've witnessed her silence, now _let her go_."

Aro spread his hands before him. "And if she betrays our secret?"

"She wouldn't."

"You sound so sure," Aro said, considering Jasper. From the corner of my eye, I watched as Jasper tensed his jaw. With only his word, Aro had the power to override it. I had to say something. While I was certain my assurances would mean very little, I had to try.

"Jasper's right," I whispered, my voice betraying the fear I was trying not to show. I cringed as all eyes turned on me. "I made a promise that I wouldn't tell anyone, and I…I will never go back on that."

"Why, yes," Aro said, the smile returning to his face. "If I recall correctly, you didn't even want to share your secret with Jasper."

There was a babble of laughter around the room. I closed my eyes as I waited for them to fall silent once again. I'd known there was a chance he wouldn't take my assurance seriously, but I hadn't expected him to ridicule me. I had nothing more to give, and I didn't know what would happen now.

But the moment Jasper spoke, something changed.

"If you will not do it for me, do it in honour of Carlisle," he said evenly, as if he'd chosen his words with precision. I couldn't understand what he meant about Carlisle – did these people know him?

From as little as _I _knew Aro and this coven, I found it incredibly hard to imagine them knowing Carlisle well enough to do something in _honour_ of him.

"He is a good man," Jasper continued after a deliberate pause. "And I know if he was here, he'd be asking you to show mercy, given what I'm asking you for on my return."

Aro tilted his head to the side, his eyes narrowing minutely. "Surely Carlisle would be more concerned with _your_ wellbeing?"

Jasper stiffened beside me. "The circumstances are different. He'd understand that. But this isn't what she wants."

_No, Jasper…but this isn't what I want for you, either_.

"But are you sure this is what _you_ want?" Aro shot back, an eyebrow arching as he glanced at me in what felt a deliberate manner. My breath caught in my throat as the two of them stared at each other. The way Aro had spoken didn't hint that he was giving Jasper a way out. It sounded quite the opposite. As if he was expecting him to take a third option, one I didn't know about.

It seemed Aro was waiting for something, but Jasper remained steadfast. For once, I wished I was facing him, just so I could see into his eyes. A minute passed in silence until finally I watched Aro exhale gently. From him, the action looked almost alien.

"Such a waste," Aro said despairingly. "What do you propose we do, then?"

Jasper didn't waste time in responding; it was clear he'd already prepared an answer. "I leave with her now-" My heart rate soared, my hopes rising for a split second or two. "-and escort her to the airport _alone_, to guarantee her safety."

As his words sunk in, I felt something squeeze around my heart, slowly draining the air from my lungs. They would have heard it, my reaction to his words. Of course…I would still be getting on the plane alone.

The room was completely silent by the time I'd pushed those thoughts away, allowing me to focus on the present. My whole body was shuddering with trepidation as I watched Aro assessing Jasper's request. His expression was blank, not giving anything away.

The moment was so tense that I was struggling to think straight. I didn't want to die here, but aside from not wanting Jasper to go through with this, that was the only thing I was really certain about.

It surprised me when the male with snow-white hair rose from his chair and glided over to stand at Aro's side. Now that he was closer, I noticed his skin had the same textured, transparent impression to it, and his eyes were just as clouded. It made me wonder whether the third, a man with longer, jet-black hair, was the same.

I was relieved he was yet to come closer. Somehow, he seemed the eeriest I'd met so far. There was something in his mannerism that made it seem he was the eldest in the room, the one who'd experienced the most. Even though, physically, he couldn't have been much older, if not younger than I was, at the time of his transformation.

When I returned my attention to the two in front of me, I was once again surprised to see Aro holding his hand out as the other pressed his fingers to Aro's palm. It took me a couple of seconds to work out what he was doing – Aro was reading his thoughts.

It seemed every occupant in the room was watching them now, waiting to see what happened. If they declined Jasper's request, I would surely die here. But given the circumstances, as long as I was with Jasper when the time came, surely that was the best thing I could hope for?

Nobody made a sound as the oldest left Aro's side, returning to his original seat. Aro appeared to think things over, dragging out the suspension as he stared unwaveringly at Jasper. I hardly dared to breathe.

"I have come to a decision," he announced to the hall. As if he'd been waiting for those exact words, the boy with a child-like face stepped forward. Aro quickly halted him with his hand. I think I saw his lips move, but if they did, I was unable hear the words. Seconds later, he fell back into formation with the girl, the both of them looking disgruntled.

I knew this was it when Aro moved one step closer.

"You will take the girl and go. On your return, we will fulfil your request." He spoke directly, the faux friendliness gone from his voice. "Should we hear that she has broken her promise, I assure you that anything said here today will become void. She will be dealt with swiftly."

I could feel my heart beating in my throat as his final words sunk in. He was letting me go; giving one last warning that if I told someone of their existence, I would be silenced. Though it meant I would be allowed to leave, I felt far from relieved. I wasn't safe, not yet, not until we were free of their castle.

"Demetri, escort them from the chamber," Aro directed. I saw movement from the corner of my eye, and suddenly felt sick as I realised, belatedly, that Demetri had been behind me the whole time.

"Certainly, Master," Demetri replied in his drawling lilt.

Even then, Jasper didn't move. Though I couldn't quite see his face, I could tell he was no longer focusing on Aro. Strangely, it was the small female he watched. It was chilling when I realised she was staring back at him, her large, ruby eyes slightly demented. The disturbingly sadistic smile on her young face suddenly made her the creepiest in the room.

Aro seemed to notice it, too, and for a couple of seconds, he seemed almost amused. I was really beginning to feel uneasy that, for the first time, things weren't what they seemed. Now that we were allowed to leave, it felt as though he wasn't going to let us.

But to my surprise, he glanced at the girl, and soon after she looked away. Finally Jasper seemed to awaken from his inert state and gradually started to turn away. I tried to catch his eye as he turned, but he was focusing so intently on those around him, that I don't think he even realised.

I found some comfort in the way he took my arm, his fingers curling around the curve of my elbow. My legs were stiff from standing still for so long that it was a good thing he was leading me away.

Just as we reached the oak doors, I spotted a young, blond male, maybe eighteen years of age, standing to the far side. He'd been centring in on Jasper, but just as we were about the pass through the doors, he suddenly looked right at me. I gasped quietly, stumbling a little. There was something different about him, but I couldn't quite understand what it was.

The doors were closed the moment we were back in the stone hallway. Jasper moved to put himself between myself and Demetri. He let go of my arm, moving his hand to rest gently on my back. I knew it was his silent way of communicating with me; it helped to calm my frazzled nerves. I only wished there was something I could have done for him.

But with Demetri beside us, there was nothing I could say or do. His presence alone was enough to make me nervous, and like before, it felt as though he was watching us out the corner of his eye.

The silence was broken a short while later as we arrived at an opening to a dark passageway. I didn't recognise where we were, which could only mean we'd taken a different route. We hadn't seen the human receptionist again.

"You know the rules; stick to the shadows and do not linger in the city," Demetri began, sounding slightly bored. "This passage will lead you to the outskirts. I suggest you keep your hood up as a precaution. We wouldn't want to fulfil our arrangement earlier than expected now, would we?"

Jasper's steely gaze met Demetri's taunting one, and for a couple of seconds, I felt the tension rise in the small hallway. It was only when I placed my hand on Jasper's arm did he take a step back. We had just turned away when I heard Demetri speak again.

"Farewell, Miss Weber." I looked back over my shoulder just in time to see a smirk twist across his face. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I only regret that you were allowed to leave. I feel I would have quite enjoyed the taste of your blood."

Everything happened so quickly after that.

Jasper had rounded on Demetri, a vicious snarl erupting from within him. The sound of it echoed off the walls, multiplying it. Any moment now, I expected Felix to reappear, or maybe the little girl with the cruel smile.

I watched as Demetri crouched into an aggressive stance, the smirk turning into a confident and pointed grin. Panic rose inside me as I realised he was prepared to attack. I moved without thinking; putting myself between them, just as Jasper had done a short while before.

The snarling stopped abruptly and Jasper snapped out of his crouch, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me away. Demetri straightened, too, the look in his eyes malevolent. They stared each other down, both looking as though they wanted to tear the other to pieces. My heart was pounding loudly in my ears and I was certain it was all they would hear.

To my relief, Demetri inclined his head, and then whipped around, disappearing into the passage we'd just come from. I stared after him, wide-eyed, wondering whether he was going to come back. I had a feeling Jasper was thinking the same thing because he stood rigid, watching the passageway like a hawk.

A minute passed, and still no one came. If he was coming back, he would have been here by now, and Jasper knew that.

His whole body appeared stiff as he started leading me away, his hand sitting loosely in the middle of my back once again. For nearly five minutes we walked in complete silence.

"You shouldn't have done that," he said finally. Though his tone was grim, the edge he'd adopted when talking to Aro had vanished.

In the darkness, I could hardly make out his face. "Done what?"

"Putting yourself between us like that," he said. "It was a dangerous move."

"He was going to attack you," I replied quietly. Hearing it back, my actions sounded foolish. Jasper was right when he said it was a dangerous move, but the thought of seeing them fight was more than I could bear. The fact I'd stepped between them had prevented the fight from breaking out.

If only it was enough to prevent it all.

"He wouldn't have laid a finger on you; I'd have made sure of that." I believed him when he said he wouldn't let Demetri get to me, but that wasn't what I was trying to say. I already knew Jasper would protect me.

"It wasn't me I was worried about."

I was glad for the darkness around us when I saw him glance at me from the corner of my eye. He didn't know how to respond, and I couldn't blame him for it. As futile as it was to put myself between two vampires, it still proved that I would put myself in danger for him. Ultimately, it showed Jasper that I didn't want to see him getting hurt.

But when he was doing this so he could end his life, really, what could he say?

Thinking about it made me feel worse. There were only a handful of hours left before he'd be gone. How was I even going to prepare myself to say goodbye to him? I could hardly bear the thought and it was getting increasingly harder to contain my emotions. I didn't want him to see me cry. It would be inevitable later, but not right now.

I took a deep breath and tried to compose myself. Seconds later, Jasper came to an abrupt stop beside me.

"Jasper, what's wrong?" I demanded, lowering my voice before I spoke again. "Is it them? Can you hear someone following us?"

He didn't respond, and when I looked him in the eye, there wasn't the seriousness he'd had when dealing with the Volturi. There was something else, a kind of pained, tortured appearance, as though he'd just worked out something horrifying. He looked away when I repeated his name, the pain not leaving him.

"We're out of range," he said vacantly, as if that explained everything.

"We're out of range of what?"

"Their power." He closed his eyes, wearing a look of disgust. When he opened them again, he didn't look at me. "Come on, we should keep moving."

I couldn't decipher his strange behaviour, and as we continued, I felt something else in the air. Once again, he was lost in his thoughts, and this time, he kept his hands at his side. I caught myself every time I tried to ask him what was wrong, and before I knew it, we were at the mouth of the passage and I still hadn't said anything.

It really was the edge of the city because all I could see were empty cobbled streets. This must have been one of their more secret exits. Demetri had said to keep to the shadows, and with the tall walls, it wasn't very hard to do.

It was a cloudy day, with only a hint of sun, but Jasper still pulled his hood up so that it covered most of his face. The final touch was to keep his head down and his hands in his pockets. The stance was so unfamiliar that, from afar, I wouldn't have recognised him.

We did indeed keep to the shadows as we weaved through the streets, heading out of the city and towards the small village we'd started out in. Jasper ran with me for a while until he could do so no longer. Luckily, when we reached out destination, the locals paid us little attention and we were able to get back to the car without any trouble.

Having checked out the inn earlier that morning, the only thing left _was_ the car. Had we not been allowed to walk free of Volterra, the car would have disappeared with us.

It was only when we drove away did I feel the pressing weight lift from my chest. I was able to breathe freely for a couple of minutes before it all came back again.

I kept seeing flashes of the Volturi members, picturing their faces and wondering which one it would be. Felix, perhaps, or maybe even Demetri. My stomach churned as unwanted images came to mind of fire and looks of unrighteous pleasure in their expressions.

Pushing those notions away, I thought of the boy I'd spotted right at the end. I still couldn't work out what it was about him that felt different. The only way I was going to find out was to ask Jasper. It took me a minute to work out how I was actually going to approach the topic, as the last thing we needed was more about those waiting for him on his return.

Finally, I just decided to say it. "Did you notice the person standing to the left, just as we walked out?"

Jasper looked at me briefly as I finished. For some reason I got the impression he knew I was eventually going to ask him about it.

"Inconspicuous, isn't he?" I had to ask him to explain because I didn't quite understand what he meant. "You don't tend to notice he's there until he focuses in on you. When he does, you feel it."

He paused to let it sink in. As hard as it was to grasp all the different abilities, I found it easy to understand that, at least. The moment he'd looked at me, I'd felt something and I couldn't describe it, even if I tried.

"His ability varies depending how he wants to interpret your talents," he continued. "While I was there, he eradicated my abilities completely."

"Lucius," I said faintly as I remembered Jasper telling me about him this morning. Jasper told me he'd gained his knowledge of the Volturi from Carlisle, but at the time, Carlisle hadn't mentioned the blond haired boy who hung back, barely being noticed. Jasper seemed to think Carlisle was unaware of him, and with someone of Lucius' capability, I was certain Carlisle would have said something had he known.

Consequently, Jasper's first visit to the Volturi came as a big surprise. He hadn't expected his ability to vanish. Only when Aro explained his latest prodigy did Jasper fully understand what happened.

When I thought about it, Aro must have known Jasper had the ability to manipulate emotions before he arrived, so he ordered Lucius to totally remove them. I still didn't know just how strong Jasper's ability was, but had I been in Aro's position, I wouldn't have taken any chances. Jasper could have used his ability to sway Aro's final decision had it been a bad one.

"When did you feel your ability return?"

He visibly hesitated for a second or two. "A short while before we left the passage."

It took me a couple of heartbeats before realisation dawned on me. That had been about the same time he'd started acting strangely. He'd said we'd gone out of range when I'd asked him what was wrong. Had that been why he'd stopped?

But why had he looked so tortured? It couldn't have been an overload of emotions from all around him because I was the only one there…

My heart thumped as I saw what was staring me in the face. I was the only one there, and the way he'd stared at me…had that been his reaction to my emotions?

I gazed out the window, wringing my hands in my lap. I could remember his expression clearly, and it broke my heart to know he'd reacted that way because of me. If I had the choice, I wouldn't have wanted him to feel any of it. This was hard enough for him as it was, without having my feelings to contend with, too.

In an attempt to straighten out my emotions, I started thinking about something else that didn't directly include what would happen to Jasper. But because I couldn't quite ignore the topic completely, my question was still centred on the Volturi.

"Earlier you told Aro to let me go in honour of Carlisle, but why?" I asked, finally facing him. "I know he was the one who told you about the Volturi, but how did he know so much about them in the first place?"

This, it seemed, was an easier question for him to answer. "Carlisle spent nearly two decades with them before moving to America."

"He _lived _with them?" I asked weakly as I tried to imagine it. "But…how? It doesn't make sense. Carlisle is so…"

"Human?" Jasper suggested when I couldn't come up with a more suitable word. "More human compared to them, at least."

I nodded, still not quite believing it. "It doesn't seem right, though. The amount of people they must have murdered just to sustain themselves." I shuddered. "They're monsters."

From the corner of my eye I watched his grip tighten around the steering wheel. When I glanced at him, it didn't seem as though he was looking at the road at all. Something was up in his expression; it was only small but I could see it.

"What's wrong?" His only response was a grimace to flit across his face. "Jasper?"

"I used to be just like them, Angela," he said resentfully. "You call them monsters because of what they do, but I wasn't always like…_this_. I was exactly the same for a long, long time."

Whether intentional or not, I caught the double meaning behind his words. He wasn't always the vampire who drank animal blood, and he wasn't always the dark, inconsolable Jasper sitting beside me.

"You're not a monster," I replied, keeping my voice direct so he wouldn't doubt I was telling the truth. "A monster wouldn't change their life around."

The look on his face told me he wasn't going to agree with me, and when he started to speak, I knew I was right.

"You've seen only a small fraction of my scars. There are so many more, and yet, even after all that, I'm still here." He looked at me, disgust marring his features. "What does that say about me?"

I think he was attempting to scare me, or maybe just having a crack at changing the way I felt about him, because he sure as hell knew all about that. But it didn't work. All it did was make me angry at him for even trying.

"Just stop it," I said, a little harsher than I intended. "I don't _want_ to hear what you were like, or the things you used to do – whatever they even were. I don't care about any of that, okay? It doesn't matter because that's not who you are anymore, so stop trying to scare me away."

I looked away before I could see his reaction to my sudden outburst. There was a lump in my throat signalling that I was going to cry. This time, I couldn't prevent it. I barely made a sound as tears slipped down my cheeks, but I still knew it wasn't quiet enough for Jasper not to notice. It probably filled the otherwise silent car.

It made me feel worse to know the minutes were slipping by. Later, when he was gone, I would be sure to regret this. But what was there to say? I had nothing left, and to my dismay, I soon started seeing signs telling me we were closing in on Rome.

That was when the anxiety started. I could feel it in my throat and in my stomach, and I had the sudden urge to tell him to stop and pull over. I didn't want to go any further. But that's when I spotted the sign for the airport, and suddenly it was all over. Jasper parked up in the designated area for hired cars, but didn't get out.

"I'm sorry for what I said to you earlier," he finally said, the regret apparent in his voice. "I've been doing a lot of thinking recently, about the person I was…what I've become. But you didn't deserve to hear that."

He was staring at me now, I could feel it. When I turned, the expression on his face made the ache in my chest grow even stronger.

"You don't need to apologise," I told him weakly. I didn't want to hear him apologise, not for anything. He'd felt the need to say it too many times in the past month.

Jasper was the first to look away from our held gaze. Whatever he saw in my eyes was worse than the broken look in his. Similarly, he was the first to get out of the car. I was pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to make the first move myself.

The airport was busier than I expected it to be. Jasper joined the queue to check in straight away, and when I looked at the flights board, I realised why. My flight to London wasn't even an hour away.

Once again, Jasper had to do all the talking because I was unable to even think straight. The moment we were done, I would have to say goodbye. Sure enough, when my bag had been taken away, I followed him towards the departure gate.

I was physically shaking by the time he stopped and turned to face me. I couldn't even be comforted by the fact he looked as though this was as hard for him as it was for me.

"You have to go to gate four," he said vacantly, signalling towards the place I had to walk through to get to the right gate. Jasper wasn't allowed in, even though his name was down for the flight. He had to check in, but he'd only given them my faux name, Louise Jefferson.

"I'm going to arrange for someone to meet you at each airport," he went on. "I don't want you to be alone."

The moment he said it, we both knew it wouldn't change a thing. Without him accompanying me home over the next few days, it was a given that I'd be alone.

"You're really going back to them, aren't you?" I asked in a whisper, diverting my gaze because I could hardly bear to see him as he said that he was. I knew he would, of course I did, but there was still that small portion that hoped he would change his mind. I'd barely allowed myself to acknowledge it before; it was too much to hope for.

But he didn't say anything, and as I glanced up at him, I saw his lips were parted slightly, as though he was trying to say something but couldn't quite manage it.

_He's still going_…

My chest felt tighter now than it ever had, making it even harder to breathe. He would be gone in a few minutes. It dawned on me this was the last time I was going to have the chance to tell him how I felt, and not just the glimpses he'd caught in my emotions, but the real thing.

Yet when I opened my mouth, all I could utter was, "Jasper, I…"

The words caught in my throat, and instantly the moment was gone before it really had the chance to form. I closed my eyes as more tears tracked down my face. This was it.

My legs near enough gave way as he wrapped his arms around me, holding me against his chest. I gripped the back of his shirt, trying to hold onto the moment before that, too, slipped away from me.

A sob built up in my chest as he eventually pulled back. He paused, though, when his hand reached my waist, and used the other to wipe away my tears. Everything around us seemed to fade into the background as his fingers lingered on my cheek.

His gaze was intense as he stared at me, the look in them something I hadn't seen before. It dawned on me then what was about to happen.

My eyes closed automatically as he slanted towards me, hovering for a moment before pressing his lips to mine. My pulse quickened at his touch. The kiss was gentle and soft, just as I always imagined a first kiss with someone should be.

I didn't open my eyes when he leaned away because I knew this was our goodbye. I wasn't sure I could take watching him walk away from me…this was the only way.

"Be safe," he whispered in my ear, allowing me to breathe him in one last time. His hand slipped from my waist, and a second later, I knew he was gone. When I finally opened my eyes, he was nowhere in sight.

He hadn't said goodbye, but this time, I knew he wasn't coming back.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked it! If anyone is interested, I'll be giving out a teaser to Part Two in review replies. Big thanks go to idealskeptic for all the helps she has given me.**

**For anyone who may be reading this without first reading _Built on a Lie_:**

Lucius is an original character. His ability is to detect and determine how powerful someone's ability is. He also has the power to weaken or completely remove said ability. The distance of how far his ability stretches depends on how focused he is on that particular person.

The Volturi are based around the descriptions provided in the Illustrated Twilight Guide, not the films…except Demetri because let's face it, Charlie Bewley is damn fine.

Alice was killed in August 2006. These scenes are set in December 2008. Jasper tracked Victoria for just under two years.


	2. Part Two

**A/N: Part Two!**

**Thanks to those who read Part One! Loved the response so far. Another thank you to idealskeptic for being a helping hand as I wrote this last year.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Twilight, Bella would have died at the end of the first book.**

* * *

**Part Two**

Everything seemed to be out of sync now that Jasper was gone. I'd felt the usual discomfort of being surrounded by strangers, but even that had felt off kilter. In some small way, it had been a relief to find my seat on the plane. The two seats beside me were empty, but the rows in front were all occupied.

It was the best I could hope for. It allowed me to pull my feet up onto the chair and sit quietly, without the worry of having people next to me, wondering what was wrong. This way, I could sit there trying not to think about anything at all.

That worked, for the first hour on the flight. Right up until I was interrupted by a voice coming from my right.

"Excuse me, may I sit here?"

It took me a minute to register the voice was talking to me. I slowly turned to see a frail, elderly woman watching me from the mouth of the aisle. One hand was gripping at a walking stick while the other signalled towards the seat beside me.

"Sure," I said quietly, clearing my dry throat. She smiled faintly, accentuating the wrinkles on her weathered face, and shuffled into the seat. From what I could tell, she was well into her eighties, but surprisingly agile, it seemed, as she was able to move around without the aid of another.

"I'm Elsie," she said as soon as she was settled. I eyed her as she leant her walking stick against the chair in front, wondering what her motives were. It was a good hour into the flight; she already had a designated seat somewhere else.

Finally I replied. "Angela."

"You're American, right?" I can hear it in your voice." She paused while I nodded. "Whereabouts do you come from?"

I drew in a deep breath, reminding myself not to be rude. It was painful to keep up the pretence of normalcy. It was even painful to pay attention.

"Washington, originally, but I live in Illinois."

If she noticed how long it took me to answer, she didn't comment on it. She merely watched me with her startlingly clear, blue eyes. I forced a smile onto my face as I planned to look away from her. The smile was more polite; she wouldn't suspect rudeness.

"It's all right, my dear," she said gently. The hint of understanding in her voice was almost too much to bear. "There's no need to hide it from me; I know a broken heart when I see one. It's why I asked to sit down – I thought you'd want someone to talk to."

The smile slipped from my face, the weight of it pressing against my chest, compressing it. I couldn't find my voice to tell her to stop, that I didn't want to talk about it; talking wasn't going to help.

"I saw you saying goodbye to that young man," she continued sadly. "I've lived long enough to know the different between a goodbye for now, and a goodbye for good."

_Oh_. I wanted to deny it; I wanted to tell her it _was_ just a goodbye for now, and that he was going to find me again, just as he always did. But she could see it in my eyes; she already knew she was right.

"I was eighteen when I had to say goodbye to my first love." I looked up to see her wistful expression becoming more pronounced. "It was 1942, height of the Second World War, and he had enlisted to fight for our country. We were on the platform, surrounded by other soldiers and their families waiting for the train to arrive."

She paused to look down at her hands, rolling an old wedding ring around her finger. Did she marry him? _But she said first love_…

"What happened to him?" I asked, suddenly thankful for the distraction.

A quiet sigh escaped her. "I suppose the same thing that happened to all the other young men who never returned home."

"I'm sorry." It was all I could say.

She waved away my apology. "It was a very long time ago now – sixty-six years, in fact."

I took a moment to understand the sheer enormity of what she had gone through. Even though it _was_ over sixty years ago, she still had that look in her eyes, a form of sadness, albeit a very weak version.

"How did you get over it?"

Even after the death of my parents, I still didn't know how to move on from losing someone so close to you. Everything was a blur back then; I had nothing to fall back on. While it was completely different scenario, it still felt as though I was going through it all again for the first time.

"I'm sorry, my dear, but I still don't think I've lived long enough to know the answer to that particular question," she said with a sigh. "But, I can at least say that it does get easier over time."

I knew she was right. I missed my parents more than anything, but the loss of them didn't feel as strong as it used to…before Jasper. It also proved what I knew all along – there wasn't a specific way to deal with something like this because everyone dealt with it differently.

"You just have to ask yourself if he is doing the right thing," she went on. She must have sensed my uncertainty of it all, as her response made perfect sense. Look at it from his perspective, maybe then I'd come to accept it.

I glanced at her. "Is that what you did?"

"Eventually." A slow smile formed across her face as she spoke. "In the end, I knew he was doing the right thing. He was fighting for the freedom of our country; what higher honour is there? He knew there was a good chance we'd never see each other again, but I guess that was just one of the risks he had to take."

Once again I didn't know what to say to her. The circumstances were very different; he was going to fight while Jasper was going down without one. But we'd both known what would happen as we'd said goodbye. We'd both let them leave…I guess that was just anther thing that brought the two closer together. Neither of us had a choice.

"One day you'll find someone else, no matter how unlikely it seems right now. You're young and beautiful, with your whole life ahead of you." She paused once again to roll the ring around her finger. "I met someone a year after the war came to an end. We married and had two boys and one girl, who in turn produced us with eight grandchildren."

For the first time in hours, I felt the faintest of smiles form on my face. It was weak and there wasn't much to it, but she noticed and smiled back as she patted my hand. I think she was going to say something more when a woman, maybe in her late fifties, stopped in the same spot Elsie had ten or so minutes before.

"Oh, speak of the devil," Elsie said to me quietly as the woman looked between us. It dawned on me this must have been her daughter.

"Mum, why are you up here? Your seat is further up the plane," she said. She then turned to look at me once again. "I'm sorry about this; I hope she wasn't bothering you."

I shook my head quickly, and then said, "Not at all," just so Elsie knew I didn't agree. She was quite the opposite, and I was glad she'd started talking to me because it had given me something to think about.

"Honestly, I may be old, but I'm not senile, you know," Elsie muttered as her daughter helped her up from her seat. "I was just talking to this young lady."

She didn't mention why, and I was grateful. Before her daughter could start leading her away, I thanked her, and as she nodded once, meeting my eye, I could tell she understood exactly what I was thanking her for.

When their voices finally faded away, I sat back in my chair and thought about what she'd said. I had to ask myself whether Jasper was doing the right thing. A part of me wished it was a simple reason as Elsie had – that he was fighting for his country, doing the honourable thing. But Jasper wasn't doing the honourable thing; he was doing this because he couldn't go on without Alice.

From the outside looking in, I knew it came across as selfish, but it wasn't like that at all. I'd seen only a glimpse of the love Jasper felt for Alice, yet even that felt stronger than anything I'd seen before. Nothing compared to it, and to live as long as Jasper had, I could begin to understand why he had to do this.

Alice was his whole life, and to an immortal, taking away the one thing you lived for was the worst thing imaginable. What would he have left if he didn't go through with it?

In the end, I couldn't really blame him.

* * *

I didn't see Elsie or her family as I stepped off the plane at Heathrow airport. There are been some bad turbulence as it had come in to land, and when I'd passed by the main windows on the way to baggage claim, I saw it was raining heavily.

Though my bag was one of the first to come through, I held back until many people had gathered their things and left. I knew my flight wasn't until the following morning and I didn't really know what I was going to do.

It was only when I walked through the arrivals gate and I saw a group of hired drivers holding up name boards, did I remember what Jasper had said to me in those last minutes we'd had together.

"_I'm going to arrange for someone to meet you at each airport. I don't want you to be alone."_

It had hurt then and it hurt all the more now. He'd known how wrong he was. He didn't want me to be alone, but without him, I was always going to be alone until I reached the familiar surroundings of my apartment.

Maybe even then.

It took me a minute or two to remember I wasn't looking for a sign with my name on. I wasn't Angela Weber here. I was Louise Jefferson.

There was a young male standing behind my designated board. He was probably only a few years older than I was, baby-faced with thick black hair. His nametag read_ Sam_. He didn't seem to recognise me as I approached, which meant he'd only been given a name, no description.

When he realised I was his passenger, he followed protocol and asked to see my passport just to make sure I was who I said I was. It was ironic, but I didn't have the energy to express it. I wasn't Louise Jefferson, but he seemed satisfied with the fake proof of identification I'd produced and signalled for me to follow him.

I tightly gripped my bag and pulled it away from him when he offered to carry it for me. He seemed alarmed when I told him I could manage. After that, he didn't really say much.

The trip to the hotel was short, and I soon realised it was the same hotel Jasper and I had stayed in three days before. Before informing me he'd be waiting in the lobby tomorrow morning, he handed me an envelope with a small amount of money inside.

"I'm sorry, but you have to take it, miss. This is part of the contract," he said when I tried to hand it back to him.

I frowned, looking down at the envelope. "Who is the contract with?"

He pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and scanned it. "Mr Whitlock. He provided the money."

My throat felt tight as I clutched the envelope to my chest. If he was waiting for some kind of response, he didn't get one as I quickly nodded and turned away. When I reached the elevator, he was already gone.

As I arrived at the room, I placed the keys and money on the table and walked into the middle. It looked exactly the same as the previous one had, except the room smelt different, and Jasper wasn't here to fill it.

The day had drained me of my energy, but I avoided the bed at all costs and sat on the couch, curling my legs against my chest. Jasper had done what he'd promised he would. He'd safely gotten me away from Volterra and provided me with money and somewhere to stay between each flight.

He'd sent me back home.

So why did I want to turn around and go back?

* * *

I'd passed out from exhaustion a quarter of the way into the flight across the Atlantic. I woke up hours later to find I was much closer to America than I was England. Though I'd expected a nightmare to hit me the second I fell asleep, my dreams had been nothing but darkness, a blank mass that I couldn't really remember.

Somehow I knew that was going to last.

My arrival in Miami was much the same as London; I found someone holding up a sign with my fake name on. He handed me some money to buy food, and told me my flight to Illinois was leaving in three hours. I think he said his name was Michael.

That flight was much worse. It reminded me a lot of the flight from London to Italy, in that it was shorter than the one I'd just taken. But most of all, it reminded me that soon I'd arrive at my destination. It wasn't fear I felt this time, just a diluted version of it at the thought of going home and things being even worse than they were before.

The man waiting for me at my final stop was called Jonathan. It was steadily getting darker as he drove me home, but there was still enough light for me to be able to recognise my surroundings as we got closer.

We were nearly there when I remembered I no longer had keys to my apartment. I'd left them with Carla…I'd honestly believed I would never return. Yet here I was, home again after nearly two weeks of absence. Two weeks with Jasper.

"I won't be long," I told him as we stopped outside Carla's building. I was halfway out the door when I realised what I'd said. Jasper had told me not to take long the last time I was here. I'd been bothered by it at the time. It seemed so small now compared to everything else.

I had to grip the doorframe to steady myself. My stomach was turning, and my legs felt unstable beneath me. I'd never bothered with two sets of door keys, but now I wished that I had. Facing Carla was going to be hard, and I wasn't sure I could handle her questions.

But I had to. I had to get my keys and go back to my empty apartment.

My hands were shaking as I made my way towards her front door. It was late in the evening, so I knew she would be home. It took a minute for the door to open. Her eyes widened when she saw me; she stood completely still for a moment. Belatedly I realised I must have looked a mess. Maybe I should have straightened out my clothes, or ran my fingers through my hair…

"_Angela_?"

A second later she'd rushed forward and enveloped me in her arms. I hugged her back as best I could. Carla was still a friend I could go to for comfort. But even so, I still forced a smile on my face so she wouldn't see just how bad it was.

"Have you only just got back?" she asked, silently appraising me as she pulled back. "How was it?"

I visibly flinched as she waited for me to respond. I wasn't sure I had it in me to lie to her about it – to do that would mean I had to pretend Jasper never happened. But there was no way I could tell her the truth, either.

"Can we…talk about this some other time? Sorry, it's just I have a taxi waiting outside, so I can't stay long." I paused and wondered how I was going to continue without sounding rude. "It's been a long day, and I was just hoping to get my keys and go home, you know?"

She nodded, but looked a little surprised when I didn't answer either of her questions. A moment later she disappeared to fetch them for me.

"Did you want to take Aurora back with you tonight?"

I looked behind her into the room beyond, but didn't see Aurora anywhere, which was probably a good thing.

"Is it okay if she stayed with you for a few more days?" I rushed to add, "Just until I settle back in at home. Like, buy some food, and sort out the rent and stuff."

The rent?" she asked, confused. "I thought you sorted that?"

It was my turn to be confused. "What?"

"I went to ask your landlord about the rent, just in case I had to sort it for you. But he said it was already paid for."

I frowned. Had I already paid it before I left? I couldn't remember going to see him during the week leading up to the start of the month. But then again, a lot had happened in the past two weeks; it was plausible that I'd just forgotten…

"I'll check with him when I get back," I said vaguely. She nodded again and it went silent. I knew that was my cue to leave.

"I'll see you soon, okay?"

She gave me a long, worried look; I got the feeling she was seeing through my façade, just like always. But instead of calling me out on it, she hugged me again, longer than last time. Out of everyone, she was probably one of the few people that understood me. She knew when I didn't want to talk about something, and right now, she was really picking up on that. But I still felt bad as I walked away.

Jonathan insisted on carrying my bag upstairs, but I managed to stop him at the door, telling him I needed to talk to my landlord first. I watched as he drove away before knocking on the landlord's door. He wasn't the most welcoming of people, and I didn't want to hang around for longer than I had to.

"Can I help you?" he asked, using the same tone of voice he always did. The one that sounded as if I'd just interrupted him in the middle of his favourite television program.

"I think my friend came to see you last week about my rent?" I didn't bother to alter my voice; he didn't care either way. "She said I'd already paid. I was just wondering when that was?"

He turned back into his apartment without another word, returning a minute later with an accounts book.

"It says your rent was paid on the fourth of this month. The guy who paid said you were going away for a few weeks, so he was dealing with it himself. Was he a boyfriend of yours, or something?"

My heart was pounding in my ears. "What did he look like?"

"I don't know. Tall, blond, kinda posh looking." He shrugged awkwardly. "Before you start making this a regular event, I won't be accepting payments like that all the time, not without written consent from you. I let him off last time, but I won't do it again."

I nodded aimlessly, barely taking in the last part. My voice had deserted me completely, and had it been anyone else, they would have been put out that I'd wordlessly turned away. Luckily for me, he merely went back inside and shut the door.

Jasper had paid my rent the same day he'd come back and asked me to go away with him. He must have paid before I even knew he was back because he was at my side the whole time. Somehow he must have known I'd always go with him.

I slowed down as I made my way upstairs. It felt almost…_wrong_ to be here. I'd all but prepared myself for the possibility of never being in this building again, and in Italy, I'd practically come to terms with it.

I even think I'd come to terms with the fact I could have died out there.

A lump formed at the back of my throat as the door to my apartment came into view. I stood outside it for a full minute, the keys in the lock, just not wanting to go inside. After what felt like an hour, I finally turned the key. Shutting the door behind me, I glanced up and down the hallway. It looked exactly as I'd left it. The only difference was it felt cold; it felt like nobody had lived here for a while.

My breaths came in quick gasps as I felt the weight of everything fall on me once again. For the first time since saying goodbye to Jasper, I began to cry.

* * *

The first week back was the worst, harder than it seemed possible. Aurora came back on the third day. I'd missed her, and even the faint sound of her pattering around the house was better than the silence of everything else.

I returned to work the following day, thankful that I still _had_ a job after my sudden leave of absence. It gave me something to occupy my mind, but that came at a price. Carla wasn't the only one asking what was wrong, or watching with worried expressions they tried to hide from me.

Without the excuse of jetlag to hide behind, all I could do was force a smile on my face and tell them I was fine. When they didn't know what else to say, they decided all I needed was a good night's sleep.

If only it were that easy.

It wasn't sleep that eluded me; _I_ was the one that eluded _sleep_. Or tried to. My body craved it so badly, but what greeted me when I succumbed was always worse. Sometimes the nightmares were much the same as the one I'd endured in London – the fire, the screaming, and not being able to get to him. The only real difference was Jasper wasn't around to pull me away from it. Jasper was just in my dreams, burning, getting farther and father away.

Then sometimes, the nightmares were just me, alone, holding his passport because he didn't need it anymore.

But even all of that wasn't the worst part. It was the visitors at my door, eight days after I'd last seen Jasper. The knock came only once, a sharp, harsh rap on the door that made my bones ache when I jolted.

What I saw when I looked through the spy hole took the breath from my body. I stumbled backwards and fell against the wall.

_What were they doing here?_ The two were completely different. One with the same blonde hair, the other with bronze. One face younger, the other older than its years. But one thing brought them together: Jasper. But that didn't explain why they were here.

Had they heard that I'd assisted in the….in the death of their brother, even if it was done against every fibre within me?

There was another knock at the door, softer this time. My heart leapt into my throat as a voice came through the door.

"Angela, please open the door, I know you're there. We just want to talk to you."

In a moment of clarity, I realised it was the first time Edward had directly spoken to me for more than a couple of words. I ignored the unnecessary thought as I tried to decide my next move. I had to answer the door; they already knew I was there – of course, that was the enhanced hearing, Jasper had told me all about that…

I sighed quietly and closed my eyes to gather my bearings. I didn't want to face them, not when they represented the exact thing I was trying to move on from.

Eventually I reached for the latch and pulled the door open. The weight of their stare felt heavier than the grief for the briefest of moments before Rosalie stepped forward, the ice in her eyes the coldest I'd ever seen.

"Where is my brother?" she asked pointedly.

My chest felt incredibly tight as I stared at her. _She didn't know…?_ When I didn't respond, her eyes roved the hall behind me, as if she expected to find him hidden, as if I was keeping him from her. But I knew better than that.

Edward remained stationary as Rosalie pushed past me and entered the main room. She stood still for a moment before turning back to me, and for the briefest second, I saw something change in her expression.

"He was here. It's faint, his scent, but he was here."

She had directed it at Edward, who turned to look at her. If they said anything more, I didn't hear it as I slid down the wall, crumpling at my feet. His scent was here. Rosalie could still catch weak traces of him. There was still a part of Jasper here with me…

Tears were slipping down my cheeks before I knew it. There was a part of me that wanted to have the heightened ability they did, just so I could hold onto the last piece of him.

"So where did he go?" Rosalie's question brought me back. _They didn't know? They really didn't know what happened_? "You must have known enough of his plan for him to mention you in the letters!"

"Letters?" I echoed faintly, the word being out my mouth before I could stop myself.

"Yes, the letters. There was one in Seattle, the other here in Illinois," Rosalie said, impatient. "He apologised, explained he had taken the car and that you were somehow mixed up in it all. He said he couldn't say what he was doing because he didn't want us to get involved. He then told me he wasn't coming-"

She broke off to steel herself. "He said he wasn't coming back. Now you tell me what the _hell _he has done."

It was like a physical ache in my chest when I realised I had to tell them about Italy, and the Volturi…and what they did to them. There was something in her voice that told me she already suspected the worst, it was impossible not to. It was obvious the letter held a lot more than Rosalie was letting on; Jasper wouldn't have left them with just a simple explanation, and he certainly wouldn't have said he wasn't coming back and left it at that.

But even so, how could I be the one to confirm her fears?

A shudder tore through me as I looked at Rosalie again. The ice was back, whereas Edward was staring, but looking right through me. I didn't know where to start or what to say. It wasn't my story to tell. But, who else was left to tell it?

"At the end of the letter he said he couldn't live without her," Edward said in a faint voice, comprehension dawning. He closed his eyes and turned his head. When he opened them again a minute later, he was looking at Rosalie. The graveness in his expression was enough to say he'd already worked it out.

Rosalie didn't take her eyes from him as he stepped past me to stand in front of his sister. It was silent for only a couple of seconds.

"What do you _mean_ he's gone to Italy?"

I hadn't heard Edward speak. Nor could I recall ever mentioning Italy. Or did I? Had I spoken without realising? _I couldn't have_…

He looked back over his shoulder, almost as if he was about to answer my internal question. This time, I heard him loud and clear.

"He went to the Volturi."

I flinched a second after Rosalie at the name of the vampire royalty.

"To provoke them?" She forced the words out, the iciness in her voice thawing into a wavering fear.

Edward shook his head before I had time to make sense of it. Provoke them? But why? Provoke them with what?

"Then what? I don't understand – and what has she got to do with it?" she demanded pointing an accusatory finger at me. "Was he trying to make amends? I know him; I know he blamed himself for what happened. It's so typical to try and redress the balance before doing something like-"

I curled into myself as Rosalie broke off once again. This time, she didn't continue. She couldn't finish the sentence, and frankly, I didn't want her to say it aloud.

"It wasn't his fault," I whispered. "He shouldn't have blamed himself."

"It wasn't anyone's fault," Edward insisted firmly. "No one could have expected any of this to happen."

"Yes, but that doesn't answer my question." Rosalie kept her focus on me. "What has she got to do with any of this?"

Once again, Edward turned to face his sister. "Aro saw what happened on Bella's birthday. He must have made some kind of deal with Jasper; Aro would never have done what Jasper wanted without something in return."

I tried to block out my sense of hearing; I didn't want to listen to it again. Albeit was impossible for Edward to even know _that_. Even supposing he _was_ deducing Aro wanted something in return, how did Edward know Aro had found out about the incident on Bella's birthday? Did he already know what happened? Had Jasper somehow told him that he'd been sent to find out what I knew about vampires?

As I kept churning the questions around in my mind, something obvious occurred to me. There had been someone else who'd known things they couldn't possibly have known. Aro had an ability to read people's minds the moment he touched them. I couldn't recall Edward touching me, but did he have the same ability?

"Not quite, but you're on the right tracks," Edward said in a sober tone. I stared at him, not quite believing he was telepathic, after all this time.

_You can read my mind_?

He nodded once. "Yes."

I let out an uneven breath, finding this new piece of information one of the hardest to take in. I'd thought Jasper's ability had been impossible to get around…but Edward could hear my every thought.

"I'm sorry." He smiled grimly. _It was a curse to him_. His ability was a curse. "Yes, at times it is exactly that. I'm afraid it takes some getting used to."

Rosalie looked between us slightly piqued. "So I'm guessing she knows about your mind tricks, then? Was it Jasper? How much did he _tell_ her?"

"Jasper didn't tell her about my ability," Edward said, glaring. "She worked that one out on her own."

I caught a hint of derision as she replied. "Well, isn't that _brilliant_. You just couldn't be subtle about it, could you?"

"_Subtle_?" Edward rounded on her. "If I recall, _you _were in the one who shouted about Italy in the first place. I didn't say it loud enough for her to hear for this very reason."

The tension in the room mounted as the two of them stared each other down. It was plain to see the colossal strain in their relationship, just from the way they addressed one another. If I didn't know they were a part of the same family, I would have said they despised each other. In fact, it made me question how far they even took the pretence of _family_.

"She _clearly_ knows too much," Rosalie said frostily a moment later. "It makes no sense that they even let her go."

"It's why Jasper took her in the first place," Edward said. He pinched the bridge of his nose, composing himself before he continued. "The only way they'd carry out his request, was if he discovered how much she knew about vampires. When they found out she knew of our existence, they told him to bring her to Volterra."

The corner of Rosalie's mouth turned upwards into a harsh smile as she shot me a sideways glance. "So she was just _collateral_."

My stomach clenched as pain shot through me. I scrunched my eyes shut, looking away from the both of them. _It was more than collateral, _I _was more than collateral_. Without warning, my mind flashed through memories of our last night together, and the way we'd spent our final hours together before they summoned us, and the kiss…the kiss goodbye.

_I love him_…

"_Rosalie_."

I didn't hear her move, but I felt something brush by me a second before the door slammed shut. When I opened my eyes, only Edward was in the room. He crouched down beside me, holding out his hand to help me up. I hesitated, but didn't flinch as I felt his cold touch, allowing him to lead me towards the couch.

"I'm sorry about what Rosalie said," Edward began once he'd settled on the couch beside me. "I didn't need my ability to know that wasn't the case."

As a tear slipped down my cheek, I silently wished he would turn away. From the corner of my eye, I watched him divert his gaze, which strangely made me feel even worse.

"She blames me, doesn't she?" I asked quietly. "For all of it, not just what happened to – to Jasper?"

When he didn't respond straight away, I knew I was right. Jasper had blamed himself, and Rosalie blamed me. The only difference was Rosalie had more of a valid reason. It was my stupidity that caused Jasper to attack me in the first place.

"Angela, it's _not_ your fault," he said. "The thing about Rosalie is she puts a lot down to consequence. She believes that if a certain event had taken a different route, everything subsequent to it would change. There were so many events afterwards that could have been different, too, but she lays the blame at the feet of the initial disruption because it's what made the most sense to her."

What he said sounded so eerily familiar, and it ached to realise why. "That's the reason he blamed himself. He said it started the chain of events that led him to the Volturi."

"It sounds like him," he replied with a regretful smile. "It's not the first time they've thought alike. I noticed it more than everyone else because of my ability, but they were more similar than you'd think."

"Were they close?" I asked, not knowing whether I even wanted to hear the answer. It wouldn't make any of this easier to hear how close he'd been to his family.

"To a point, yes. She took his disappearance badly." He paused, his brow furrowing. "I think their similarities brought them closer together. They had a kind of unspoken agreement; it's why she came to see you. She wanted answers, and I wanted to understand them."

"And do you?" I asked, watching him intently as he considered his response carefully. I could appreciate why he'd come here today. While Rosalie would have easily been able to find out what happened, Edward could see things far clearer than I could ever explain.

"Yes," he finally said, pulling me from my thoughts. "This might sound hard to comprehend, but I don't blame him for the choices he made. Had I known what he was planning to do the last time I saw him, I wouldn't have stopped him. Simply because it's what I would have done myself, had I lost Bella, and I know he would have understood."

_I do understand_.

I couldn't say it aloud, as a part of me didn't _want_ to understand. I wanted to be angry with him for saying he wouldn't have stopped Jasper had he known what would happen. But the truth was I didn't know whether I would stop him, either. The only part of me that would have done so was the selfish one, the one who didn't want to see him die, to lose him.

But to stop him, to have made him persevere when the light in his life was gone…how could anyone ask him to do that? This life was agony for him, without her. I don't think any of them could ever force him to endure it.

"Do you think they did it, the Volturi?" I asked, my voice no louder than a whisper. "When he first went to Volterra, Jasper told me Aro had offered him a place in his coven, and when we were there, Aro said it was a waste."

"I want to say no, but I would be lying to you if I did." Edward sighed and wrung his hands together. "Aro sees it as a waste to kill a vampire for seemingly no reason. Love doesn't…_register_ with him as a valid motive, but he knows that Jasper would find a way to provoke them."

Something clicked within my mind. "Is that what Rosalie meant? She thought he'd gone to provoke them straight away?"

"Yes," he replied, his eyes distant, as if focusing on something far away. "If nothing else, everyone knows what the Volturi are capable of. It's common knowledge that if you provoke someone with power, they're bound to retaliate, and the Volturi are the optimum of that. You don't irritate them. Not unless you want to die."

I shuddered at the thought of Jasper provoking them. I didn't have a clue what kind of thing provoking them would involve, and I didn't _want_ to know. _Not unless you want to die_. Provoking them meant angering them, angering them meant certain death. There was something so _brutal _about it, and it was hard to believe that the people who were capable of murder, were capable of showing mercy and letting people go free.

How was that possible?

"I don't know," Edward replied absently. "While I don't often agree with what Rosalie says, she's right about one thing. It makes no sense for the Volturi to let you go. I _know_ them; showing mercy is _not_ in their nature."

He gazed across the room, his eyes distant once again. "They've been in power a _very _long time. They take pride in the fact they've remained hidden for centuries; there's a reason our existence has been kept a secret for so long. They neutralise any and every threat that could expose them.

"Angela, if there's one thing I treasure about my ability," he continued gravely, "It's the fact it gives me the evidence I need to never trust anyone who has that kind of power."

It took me a moment to fully absorb it all. There was so much more to the Volturi than I could ever understand, but I knew enough to appreciate what he was getting at.

"Do you think they're going to come after me?"

He stared at me long and hard, his face impassive. "You say that without a trace of fear in your voice."

I looked away, feeling nothing but the vapid sensation in my chest. "Yeah. I guess I'm not myself right now."

Silence fell over us as I finished. I didn't know what else to say. It was true, though, I wasn't myself. At this point in time, I couldn't seem to process fear. Maybe it would catch up with me later, when I was alone again.

"We can protect you."

I glanced at him tiredly, wondering why they would. An extra burden in amidst the grief of losing a son, a brother.

"Don't think like that," he said instantly. "Carlisle would never agree to leave you here defenceless. Added to that, you were my wife's best friend, and you loved my brother. You put yourself in danger for him, even though you knew there was a good chance you would never return home. I know you made things easier for Jasper, in the end."

Once again, I was fighting tears. If I had the chance to go back in time, I'd still go with him, but that didn't make this any easier to cope with. The fact I knew I'd helped him had kept me going, but it was hard to override the fact me going with him had made it all possible in the first place.

I jumped when I felt Edward place his hand on my shoulder. I met his gaze, and when I did, the look in them made my eyes sting.

"He would have found another way. This was easier for him, Angela, and I'm glad he had you with him, at the end, and I know my family would say the same thing if they were here now."

At that, I broke down, letting the tears fall.

* * *

**A/N: A few of you asked about the Cullens and whether they would come back – if the story had taken this direction, this would have been their first appearance since the Prologue. Let me know if you liked it! Teasers for Part Three go out to reviewers.**

**One of the letters mentioned in this chapter was first seen in chapter 13. It was the 'note' Angela saw Jasper writing in Seattle before they left for the airport. Being as this is an alternate from the main story, this version of the letter is a lot smaller and only briefly explains what Jasper planned, hence why they went looking for answers. In Built on a Lie, the letters explain everything in full, but the Cullens are yet to find them.**

**Any questions?**

**Random fact – Elsie was based off my own grandmother. The only difference being my grandfather (and his five brothers) all came home from the war.**


	3. Part Three

**A/N: Part Three!**

**Here is the third and final part of Collateral. It's a lot shorter than the previous two sections. Hope you like it!**

**Thank you again to idealskeptic.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.**

* * *

**Part Three**

Edward stayed for another hour, telling me news of Bella and their daughter, Renesmee, but only when I asked. He didn't offer much, and I never expected him to, but it was a comfort, after everything, to know they were safe and well.

It was a short while later he told me he had to go home and talk to his family. It seemed as though Rosalie had disappeared the moment she'd left the building, which meant he had to drive back alone. Edward assumed she'd headed towards home on foot so she had time to think.

I very nearly enquired where _home_ was for him, but held back. After his assurance earlier, there was every chance I'd find out soon, anyway.

When I'd asked if he thought she'd tell them about Jasper before he got back, he assured me that she wouldn't return home until he had. She didn't know the full details, and Jasper was too important to go blundering in and dropping the bad news so rashly. Something told me Edward was going to be the one to deliver the news. They'd lost Alice, and now they had to find out Jasper was gone, too.

I could see it in his eyes…he couldn't stand to think about it.

Before he left, I'd apologised for what happened to Alice. He nodded and looked away, the pain still fresh in his eyes. In the silence, I'd wanted to ask him if he was close to her. Somehow, I knew that he was. The fact he'd chosen not to answer my internal question was enough to prove the truth was too hard to say aloud.

After I'd watched Edward get into his car and drive away, my chest felt lighter than it had in nearly two weeks. As small as it was, Edward's promise that he would talk to me again soon gave me enough to latch onto. It was petty, but it felt as if, through them, there was still a small connection to Jasper.

But that same night, an old, almost forgotten nightmare hit me, slamming me back down to the bottom.

I'd started out in the forest outside the Cullens' house, running away from something that wasn't there anymore. When the scene had changed to the graveyard, I'd found myself facing the same two graves, and as if I'd known it was coming, I'd turned and there they were, once again. The Cullens, standing around an open grave.

There were only seven of them this time, and as I'd approached I realised that two were missing – Jasper and Alice. In their place had been a child – a girl, I think, far smaller than the rest, her face shrouded from view.

When I'd reached the edge of the grave and looked down, all I'd seen was fire.

That night I had woken up screaming to an empty house, and as I'd huddled against the wall, tears silently slipping down my cheeks, I began to realise that Alice had never been in my original dream…I'd never seen her standing around the grave at all.

* * *

I drew in a shuddering breath as the phone started ringing. After snapping from the sleep-deprived stupor I'd spiralled into since waking that morning, I pulled myself out of bed and shuffled awkwardly into the other room. There was a slight limp to my step, almost as if I didn't have the energy to move.

It had been three days since I'd last seen Edward, and I hadn't heard from him or the Cullens since. At times, I began to wonder if he had even been here at all. There was nothing to hold onto, nothing to prove he had been here, that either of them had been here.

Even a call from Rosalie would have been better than the silence.

I was still thinking about them as I reached the phone. I stared at it, not wanting to answer. Who would be on the other end of the line? Who would I have to put on the fake voice and pretend that everything was okay with? It drained me more than when I tried to evade sleep each coming night. I just didn't have the enthusiasm to do it anymore, and when I finally picked up the receiver, I answered in a voice more hollow than my chest.

"Angela?"

The phone clattered to the floor. _That voice_…

My whole body trembled as I stared at the handset by my feet. I was losing my mind – _I was losing my mind_; the lack of sleep was making me hear things that weren't there. It was the only explanation. I couldn't be sure the phone had even rung, and I was too scared to pick it up, to hear that lost voice again. Without thinking, I slammed my hand down on the _end call _button on the phone base, terminating the invisible connection.

I wheeled around, nearly trampling on a startled Aurora as I grabbed my jacket and darted for the door. Anxiety was thick in my throat as I thought about the chances of it ringing again, knowing that voice was on the other end, calling my name.

I was right. Just as I reached for the handle, it started ringing.

_No_.

The door echoed loudly in the empty hall as I shut it behind me. Luckily, no one was around to see the frenzied look on my face or the quivering of my hands. I was free to get out of there without the prying eyes of my neighbours. The cold air was what I needed; it would keep me awake and clear my mind. Outside, the dreams couldn't pull me under.

But the illusions…I didn't need to be asleep for those to reach me.

Before I knew it, tears were sliding down my cheeks. How was I going to carry on with these thoughts? The dreams I could endure because I knew they would slowly fade away over time, but _this_, having hallucinations was too much. I couldn't handle it; I just wasn't strong enough.

I didn't stop walking until I reached the park just north from my apartment building. I'd only been there a few times with Carla when we'd decided to explore the area. Right now, it was a perfect place to escape to. At this time of the evening, not many people would be there.

When I finally reached a suitable place to stop, I collapsed onto a bench and tucked my jacket around myself a little tighter. There were trees on either side of the wide avenue I was sitting in, giving off the impression of privacy. In the summer, the sun would shine through the gaps in the trees, illuminating the walkway, but all that leaked through now was the stark, half-light of the evening sky.

I pulled my legs onto the bench, curling into myself as I tried to retain some composure. My eyelids felt heavy; all I wanted to do was close them, and the strain of keeping them open was taking everything I had. The cold breeze was making my eyes sting, so I shook my head weakly as I blinked.

Eventually I gave in and closed my tired eyes, resting my head against my knees. Fatigue washed over me, and I knew I was wrong earlier. Even out here, I'd be asleep in minutes. There was a small voice in the back of my mind that told me it wasn't a good idea, that I should open my eyes. But the temptation was too high; I wanted to give in…I would give in…

I would…

I…

* * *

I jolted awake, my neck cricking painfully. Something or someone had woken me, but I couldn't tell what. There was no one here, and the only sounds were that of rustling leaves in the trees. I was alone; _there was no one else here_.

_Alone_.

_Alo_-

Something to my left caught my eye, freezing me to the spot. I turned slowly, my breath coming in faint, jilted pants as I realised what caught my eye. It was a man, walking towards me off in the distant. Even then, I could still make out the height, the blond hair, the pale skin. I could see his speed, the way he moved with a sudden urgency to his step.

"No, _no_, _no_!" I gasped out, my body shaking once again. "Please, no…"

I stumbled away from the bench and moved further into the park, away from him. He wasn't here, he couldn't be. My mind was playing tricks on me once again, a sick, twisted game of producing the one thing I longed for. His voice was one thing, but to actually see him was simply cruel.

If I kept walking, he would vanish.

"Angela."

His voice was closer than I expected it to be. The sound of the worried intonation tore at my heart. My legs seized up, preventing me from moving. My only other option was to cover my ears and close my eyes. If I turned around, he wouldn't be there.

"You're not here," I chanted as I pressed my ears flat to my head.

"_Angela_."

This time it came from right in front of me. A sob escaped me, marring the next words to come out my mouth.

"You're not real!" I said, louder than before. There was conviction in my voice; it almost sounded as though I wanted to believe myself. "You're…_gone_."

_What was happening to me_?

I screamed as cold fingers closed around my hands, prying them away from my ears. I tried to pull back – hallucinations couldn't reach out and touch me, but they held me in place.

"Look at me," he instructed, his hands slipping away as quickly as they'd grasped me.

_How can I look at you when you're not here? Seeing you would only make this harder_…

He repeated his request in a far gentler voice than any I'd heard before. It slowly chipped at my resolve until it came crashing down at my feet.

I opened my eyes.

My chest tightened at the sight of him before me. It was a bittersweet moment. He was just as I remember him the day we parted. _My Jasper_.

_Oh, I miss you more than I can bear, and it's breaking my heart to know you're not real_.

"I'm _here_," he said as he held his hands up, close, but not touching. Almost as if he was scared to touch me again.

I shook my head weakly, tears pooling from my eyes. "But you can't be," I whispered brokenly, choking on my words. "It has been _two weeks_. They…they…_killed_…you."

His eyes held a look of torture so strong I knew I should have looked away. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. This was shattering my heart and I just couldn't stop…

"I came back for you…" he said. His voice was gentle and soft; full of honesty and assurance I knew wasn't genuine. I wrapped my arms around my body, trying to hold myself together over the heart wrenching pain in my chest.

"Don't say that," I sobbed. _He would never say that_. "I can't bear it…_please_."

His expression mirrored mine, heartbroken and torn. It made sense that my illusion of him would match what I was feeling; my memories and imagination just weren't strong enough to create a complete replica.

"Touch me," he commanded. "Please, Angela, it's the only way you're going to see that I'm really here."

"But you'll disappear," I replied, the words barely audible. My bottom lip trembled as I studied him, too scared to even blink. _I don't want you to disappear again_.

He shook his head, his response coming out as a growl. "_Never_."

I wanted to believe him so badly. Even my subconscious was making him say all the right things that were so very wrong at the same time. I wanted him to stay with me, regardless of whatever this hallucination was or meant because getting over him was going to be hard, harder than I could cope with.

As heartbreaking as it was, I would willingly stay like this forever, just to be with him. But I couldn't; I had to reach out and touch him – his eyes were telling me that was the only thing left to do.

It took nearly five minutes for me to retain as much of him as I possibly could. It was nowhere near enough, but the sky was darkening, the evening drawing to a close, and I did not relish the thought of walking home alone.

With a deep, jilted breath, I held up a trembling hand towards his chest. Taking one last look into his eyes, my eyelids fluttered and closed as I pushed forward into the space before me.

My fingers brushed against fabric. I gasped loudly as my eyes shot open. _I touched him_. I stumbled backwards, but his hands flashed to my waist before I could fall. My heart was hammering, my eyes wide as I stared at him, hardly daring to believe the impossible.

He waited silently as my hand slowly drifted to his arm, where I pushed the sleeve aside and trailed a finger across the textured skin.

_Could it be…?_

I tried to regulate my breathing as I looked back into his patient gaze. His eyes softened as he gently edged me towards him. It was then his scent engulfed me, and it finally sank in…he was alive. _He came back for me_.

Within a second I'd thrown myself at him, winding my arms around his torso so tightly my muscles began to protest. But I didn't care. He was here, Jasper was alive. I sobbed against his shoulder as he returned the embrace, holding me as tight as he dared.

"I couldn't do it," he said quietly, his mouth against my ear. "After you left, I couldn't do it. I didn't go back to Volterra. I remained in Rome and thought about my family and what I was doing to them…what it _would_ do to them when they found out. I didn't want to be the one to cause them more pain."

He paused and I felt and heard him draw a deep breath. "Then I thought of you, and I knew I'd never forgive myself for what I'd put you through - all because I wanted the most selfish thing imaginable. In ending my own pain, I was causing so much more."

There was bitterness in his voice as he finished; I shook my head, but I wasn't sure he understood the meaning. I didn't think what he'd done was selfish; it was the act of a man in a pain beyond understanding.

"I stayed in England for a week," he went on, the bitterness seeping away as quickly as it had formed. "I knew I was going back to the States, but I needed to work out what I was going to do once I got there. My family deserved an explanation, but there was something else I had to do first."

Though I didn't want to let him go, I felt him shift so we were face to face once again.

"I did this because I thought I couldn't live without Alice, and I still don't think I could have if I hadn't met you. If it weren't for you, I would have let them kill me. Angela, you showed me a different way." He brought his hand to my cheek as he spoke, gently brushing away any lingering tears. "But I can't do this on my own. I can't face that darkness without you. I need you to help me."

I couldn't speak over the lump in my throat. My heart was thumping so quickly in my chest, and I knew he could hear it loud and clear. But in that moment it didn't matter because he _needed_ me, and I knew, _at last_, I'd found my place; the place where I really, truly mattered.

"But what about the Volturi?" I asked, even though they were a mere flicker in the back of my mind. "Won't they wonder what happened? What if they come looking for you?"

A sliver of panic curled through me at the thought of them coming after Jasper. I could barely stomach the thought of them taking him away from me. But Jasper didn't let the panic settle as he bridged the gap, his hand slipping into my hair.

"Let them," he said, unwavering. "I'll be ready, and I'll have my family behind me. I don't want you to _ever_ worry about that because I promise I will never let harm come to you again. I can't even bear thinking about it."

He exhaled gently. "And I'm so sorry for scaring you. I hadn't planned for you to find out this way, but I caught a scent I didn't recognise, and I…I had to call; I had to make sure you were safe. I was too far away to reach you in person."

Like Alice, he'd been too far away…

I think I was crying again, but I couldn't even feel the tears. Hearing his explanation, it made perfect sense for him to call. The fact he'd done it to assure my safety made it impossible for me to focus on the part about the vampire scent. His words went straight to my heart as I felt something new weaving through me. A warmth so rich and rewarding was lacing itself into every corner of my body, and I knew there was only one thing left to say.

"I love you," I finally managed to utter, the words being so long overdue. The reality was I'd loved him for so long now. But this was the moment, right here, where I knew I had to say it, and his reaction took my breath away.

It was the first, true smile I'd seen to grace his handsome face. It lit up his eyes and warmed me from my toes, spreading upwards into my heart. I'd never seem him unquestionably happy, but deep within me, I still felt as though this was the side of him I'd missed the most.

"I know," he said simply as he leant forward and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.

* * *

**A/N: Aww, see? I can do happy endings, too! Not sure it's a HEA, but take what you can get, right? I don't plan to continue this right now, but then again, Built on a Lie started out as just a one-shot – so who knows.**

**I know no one picked up on it at the time (and of course, why would you?) but the dream Angela had was first seen in chapter five. It mentioned eight people standing around a grave, with Jasper standing closest. The eighth Cullen was in fact Renesmee and not Alice. My foreshadowing is so subtle that no one in their right mind would make the connection.**

**Teasers for chapter 22 of Built on a Lie go out to reviewers. That chapter should be out later this week.**


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